


Between the lips (50cm)

by Crystalitemoon



Category: New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: And a bit of Kokichi's, And they where roommates, Angst, Blood and Violence, Coffee Shops, Eventual Oma Kokichi/Saihara Shuichi, Everything is burning so i made this fic, Gun Violence, I mean so is Kokichi but, Iruma Miu's Dirty Mouth, Its Corona so, Kokichi has ADHD, M/M, Mutual Pining, Not Beta Read, Oma Kokichi Is a Mess, Oops sorry about that, Ouma not Oma, Phantom Thief Oma Kokichi, Self-Destruction, Shuichi is fucking whipped, Shy Saihara Shuichi, Slow Dancing, Slow burn but not really? Idk, These fuckers are oblivious, Well - Freeform, gay as fuck, roommates au, they got issues, ummm - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-25
Updated: 2020-08-25
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:14:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26034760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crystalitemoon/pseuds/Crystalitemoon
Summary: “Phantom thief.” The voice whispers, and Kokichi is melting, turning around and it’s like a dance, this game they play. He smiles from where he stands, reaching out a hand in greeting to the detective across the room.“Beloved detective.” He croons, and he watches as Shuichi stops at the mouth of the hallway.  Only a couple feet away, yet two worlds apart.
Relationships: Oma Kokichi/Saihara Shuichi
Comments: 8
Kudos: 83





	1. Oh darling, don't cross it

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [you've got the right to remain right here with me](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23425690) by [unseeliekey](https://archiveofourown.org/users/unseeliekey/pseuds/unseeliekey). 



> Hi guys!! Welcome to my first (non-oneshot) Danganronpa fic!!
> 
> So basically, I was listening to the song Between the Lips (50cm) by IU and I just, envisioned this entire thing while listening to it so, here it is. 
> 
> It was very much inspired by Unseeliekey's "You've got the right to remain right here with me", which is one of my favorite works. Sorry if it seems a bit too much like it, I guess. 
> 
> If you haven't checked them out, please do!! They're stories are absolutely amazing, and they have written some of my favorite stories. (And this is coming from the person that read the entire Oumasai tags list in 4 days). 
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Phantom thief.” The voice whispers, and Kokichi is melting, turning around and it’s like a dance, this game they play. He smiles from where he stands, reaching out a hand in greeting to the detective across the room.
> 
> “Beloved detective.” He croons, and he watches as Shuichi stops at the mouth of the hallway. Only a couple feet away, yet two worlds apart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys!! Welcome to my first (non-oneshot) Danganronpa fic!!
> 
> So basically, I was listening to the song Between the Lips (50cm) by IU and I just, envisioned this entire thing while listening to it so, here it is. 
> 
> It was very much inspired by Unseeliekey's "You've got the right to remain right here with me", which is one of my favorite works. Sorry if it seems a bit too much like it, I guess. 
> 
> If you haven't checked them out, please do!! Their stories are absolutely amazing, and they have written some of my favorite stories. (And this is coming from the person that read the entire Oumasai tags list in 4 days).
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

Kokichi didn’t mean to let it get this far.

Standing on the roof of the museum, he clutches the bag of gems in his hands. Cliche, he knows, for a thief to steal gems, but it was stolen twice before, _from their rightful owners_ , might he add. It’s fair game.

The detective that (he let) chase him to the roof stands behind him, confident and unwavering. An anchor, in the madness he had created for his enjoyment. Unpredictable, and so, _so interesting._

Kokichi smiles his phantom thief smile and purrs at him. “Well, now, detective, It seems you’ve caught me for now. What is it you’re planning?” Stall. Stall until Dice returns. He’s good at holding a conversation when he needs to.

“Return the Sapphires.” The detective says, and his voice is strong, steady, yet so undeniably soft. In any other situation Kokichi would swoon, but this is a detective he’s talking to. He sneers instead, tossing the bag carelessly around in his hands. The detective doesn’t take his gaze off his face. _Interesting._

“Return to whom? These Sapphires have been stolen twice before, you’ll have to be specific.” He feigns confusion, turning the bag in the moonlight, as if he was admiring the gems inside. _Stall._

“Stolen?” The detective’s gaze seems to pierce through his mask, but Kokichi doesn’t waver. He smiles wider and spreads his arms in a grand gesture, and the gems clack together in his bag. The moon illuminates his figure, the night air wraps around his throat. The high of the chase intoxicates him, makes him bold, makes him confident. This is his domain.

“These Sapphires were stolen so many times that the Museum decided they wanted to get their grubby little paws on them.” he shakes the bag again, relishing in the way they click together. “They’re fair game at this point.” The detectives resolve wavers a bit, and Kokichi can see it in the way his eyes leave his face for a second. _Interesting._

“Is that so.” The detective murmurs, and Kokichi watches his expression grow into something contemplative. His smirk almost drops from his face, and he watches in blank curiosity. Usually, around now, the detective would demand for the gems back anyhow, and Kokichi would keep the conversation going. This is an unanticipated outcome, and Kokichi smiles wider at the realization. _Good, at least he’s not boring._

“Then,” the detective fixes him with his unwavering gaze again, dusty gold catching shining amethyst from underneath his mask, “Return them to me, and I promise that I’ll find the original owners.” Kokichi steps back, smiles wavering in confusion. _Was this detective naive or what? Did he think he’s stupid?_ Kokichi grows a bit angry.

“That’s a tall request there, detective.” He says airily, and it seems that the detective can tell he’s upset, because he takes a step forward. Determination shines in his eyes, and _Wow,_ Kokichi must really be in a good mood tonight, he’s never humored a detective for this long.

“And I can back it up.” The detective vows, now only a couple feet from where Kokichi stands. Cars rush below the ledge he stands upon, and Kokichi knows it’s time. “Return the gems,” The detective reaches his hand out, an offering of peace. “and I won’t turn you in. Trust me”

_How interesting_ , Kokichi thinks to himself, smiling wickedly, _finally._ He spreads his arms again, the detective never looking away once. He can hear the police rushing up the stairs, clattering and yelling at each other. He tips his hat to the detective, smirking. “Well, now, detective…”

“Saihara.” He replies warily, putting his hand down. _Good,_ Kokichi thinks, _he knows._

“Saihara.” he echoes, tasting the name on his tongue. He smiles widely, shifting on his pedestal above the city lights. “Well, detective Saihara, it seems this is my cue.” He shifts again, and he can see the moment Saihara realizes what he’s about to do. _Interesting._

“Wait-” The detective lunges forward just as he falls backwards, panic and worry flashing in his eyes. Kokichi laughs the moment he’s airborne, relishing the detective’s strange expression and the way his cape billows around him as he rushes through his air. “Au revoir!” He calls as he falls, and Kokichi watches as the detective leans over the edge to watch him. The ground is getting closer, now, and he turns around in air to land safely in Ace’s arms.

“Had your fun, boss?” Ace has laughter in his voice as he runs to the getaway van, and Kokichi smiles back at him, brimming with adrenaline and whatever emotion left over from the conversation on the roof. “He was interesting.” he sums up simply, and Ace smiles knowingly as they barrel into the van. Hearts floors it and they’re screeching down the highway, screaming and laughing all the way. 

Kokichi watches as Dice toss the bag of gems around, shrieking and giggling all the while, and smiles to himself. This is where he was meant to be, flying down the highway with his family at breakneck speeds, and he wouldn’t wish to be anywhere else. 

The Detective’s golden gaze burns his skin the whole ride home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“What’s up, sluts.” Kokichi snarks as he slides next to his best friends, coffee in hand. Miu shrieks obscenely and Amami only smiles at him. The other occupants of the Cafe don’t even flinch, already used to their antics. _Boring._

“Hello, Kokichi.” Amami nudges Miu in the ribs to stop her from snarking at him, which is a useless gesture anyway, because she responds with a “Nothing much, ya’ Virgin twink. Get any dick recently?” Which makes Kokichi laugh and Amami sigh in mock disappointment. 

“Like you get any.” He teases back, and Miu sputters in indignation, slapping his arm hard. He only giggles and takes a sip of his latte, eyes flitting above the rim of the cup. 

Kokichi observes the room he’s in discretely, watches as the newcomers stare at him, and he preens a bit at the attention. He always was a bit of an attention whore, and he occasionally enjoys the feeling of eyes on his skin. It was one of the reasons why he became the phantom thief, after all. The other reason is that he’s an adrenaline junky, and he is quite easy to bore. 

“I actually have a request for you guys.” Amami puts down his fancy coffee, smiling at them with a threatening flair. Kokichi leans forward, intrigued. Amami only smiles like this when he wants their full cooperation.

“And? What is it Ran-Ran?” Kokichi bats his eyes in mock flirtation, making the taller male roll his eyes affectionately. Kokichi gasps before pointing accusingly at his friend. “Don’t tell me! You’re the Phantom thief!” he pretends to faint, slumping over onto Miu, “I can’t believe you betrayed us like that! Ran-Ran, you naughty boy!” Kokichi shakes his finger at Amami before dissolving into childish laughter. 

“Not quite.” Amami says, and Kokichi can see how serious he is. He quickly quiets up, leaning forward again. “Well, spit it out, Avocado bitch!” Miu leans forward as well, and Rantaro sighs.

“I’m bringing my other friends around to meet you guys sometime in the near future, and I’d appreciate it if you guys would tone it down a bit. Try not to scare them.” He fixes them with his signature soul crushing stare, and Kokichi only smiles. The other occupants of the cafe shift subconsciously away from Amami’s intimidating aura, but Kokichi basks in it, relishes in the way it scares him, the way it keeps him entertained. 

He inspects his nails, feigning boredom. They’re painted a glorious holographic purple (courtesy of his beloved Amami-chan), shining in the artificial light like the Sapphires he had stolen so long ago. 

“Why the fuck would you bring you’re other friends, _to us,_ if you don’t want to scare them?” Miu asks, and Kokichi has to agree. They aren’t known for being the calmest of people, that’s for sure. In fact he’s sure they’ve all almost been arrested at some point. ( _him more so than them, but that’s besides the point_ )

Amami sighs, and takes another long sip of his expensive coffee, as if he was trying to drown himself in it. Which, considering the company he is with, Kokichi can understand. Amami sets it down and puts a hand on his head, embarrassment and a hint of resignation flashing over his face in a matter of seconds. 

“One of them needs a roommate.” He sighs, dragging the hand through his hair, “And the other wouldn't believe me when I said I was friends with people like you.”. He hangs his head in the warm light, green eyes striking the table with a soft type of resentment, as if blaming it for the situation he is in.

Kokichi looks over at Miu, and with their eyes, they both agree to be their absolute worst. Together, they turn back to their green haired friend and smile wickedly. 

Rantaro sighs and puts his head down as they both cackle, and the experience is quickly forgotten. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“How many times have you caught me like this, Beloved?” Kokichi purrs, looking down at the Blue haired male from atop his perch. He breathes in the dusky air of the theatre, sitting atop the stage like a king in his throne. His masterpiece lays on the wall behind him, paint still dripping and fresh. There is paint on his cheeks, on his clothes and his cape, and the same can be said for the rest of Dice. Their laughter is still fresh, still hanging in the air like the ringing of bells. 

“It’s only because you let me, thief.” Saihara murmurs, advancing forward, but stopping just short of where he sits. They stand a few feet apart, staring but never coming any closer. The detective’s gaze cuts through the soft moonlight, like two pools of melted gold, soft but firm in their intentions.

“My, you caught on quickly!” he laughs, standing up with all the flourish of an experienced actor, dust scattering through the air like tiny balls of light. Dice stands behind him, like statues in a museum. They move as one, flanking their leader with a precision that comes with years of experience, years of laughter and love and trust, spilled from their souls into one another. He trusts them more than he trusts himself.

“Why, then?” The detective asks, not quite to Kokichi more as to himself, “Why let me chase you this far? What do you have to gain?” His hair shines a slight silver hue, figure bathing in the muted light of the moon.

“Did you know they used to lynch innocents in this theatre?” Kokichi replies absentmindedly, ignoring the question he doesn’t quite know the answer to. He smiles at the detective as King shifts slightly, tilting his head to show he understands. Dice moves into a ready position, a subtle shift in legs, arms slightly raising, bodies tilting just so. It’s a small change, something an ordinary person would not notice, but Saihara is no ordinary person. Kokichi knows this, because he wouldn’t have kept him around if he was.

“They used to hang them for all to watch, to laugh at.” He murmurs, eyes trailing around the theatre as if he was imagining the scene, so long ago. “Is that not a reason enough?” He flicks his wrist slightly and Dice scatters, flitting from shadow to shadow like mice. Saihara watches them warily before returning his gaze to Kokichi’s face. He’s petty in that way, Kokichi supposes, cape swaying in the subtle breeze. He never takes his eye off his target.

“It’s still wrong.” Saihara takes a step forward, further into the space they had created for themself. Kokichi takes one step backward, and it’s like deja vu, a remembrance of the night they had first met. He swirls in his cape lazily, and relishes in how the detective’s eyes follow him. He almost wishes for more time, in a strange way, but the moonlight has hit the edge of the stage and it’s time for him to leave. 

“Wrong or not, someone has to keep justice, beloved.” He takes a bow, bringing his hat down against his heart. He’s done stalling, and he’s certain Dice has returned with their cherished van. He’s grown tired of this encounter.

“Adieu, Detective. Until the next time.” And he’s running, rushing out the theatre in a quiet hurry and launching himself into the waiting vehicle. This time Jack is driving, which means a bumpy ride for all. They all cackle and shriek as they hit nearly every bump and pothole in the road as they speed away from the theatre, leaving the detective in the dust.

“Y’know, boss.” Spade turns around, flashing him a teasing smile as she flips her paint filled pigtails over her shoulders. “You really should have been an actor.” Kokichi laughs and takes a bow, flipping his bangs out of his face and untying his hairband. “You think so?” He does a twirl and Dice cheers, pumping their paint covered fists in the air as they book it down the road. They all snicker about it, teasing and light, nudging ribs and pushing shoulders. 

It takes until they reach base for Kokichi to realize the detective never followed him out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kokichi fiddles with his eighth or so coffee, staring out the window of the cafe with a soft sort of contemplation. He tells himself that, no, he’s not nervous, he’s just tired, and the coffee helps him awake. Though, at this point his weak lie is becoming less than believable, seeing as he’s just about brimming with unreleased tension. Did he ever mention he hated meeting new people?

He’s wearing his most comfortable sweater today, as Amami told him he would be bringing his friends to their meetup, and wearing it helps calm him down. Miu has yet to show up, and he is alone at a table for six. 

He gets bored so easily now, each heist only bringing a certain amount of joy before fizzling out into cursed boredom, each high crashes before he can really enjoy it. It worries him, takes control of his life, and he wonders if they should start doing something bigger. 

For now, he contents himself on sipping his drink, absentmindedly watching the people wander outside. It’s a comforting action. Having an eye on everything keeps his nerves in check.

Kokichi takes a glance at the clock. An hour has passed, with no sign of either person. He’s starting to look a bit ridiculous, sitting at such a large table with no one to show. Maybe he got the days mixed up again. Maybe Amami isn’t going to show up today, and he’s just a fool for thinking so. 

He hums a soft tune as he waits, a song Heart had shown him a lifetime ago, when they had first described love to him. He can still taste the sticky candy they had shared that day, the surgery sweetness mixing with the music and the honey dripped words they had shared. All in good fun, they had laughed as the rest of Dice groaned and grumbled in mock annoyance, all in good fun. 

It’s Dice’s favorite song to dance to.

Kokichi takes another sip, caffeine buzzing pleasantly under his skin like mini fireworks. Or bees. Whichever one is more able to kill silently, seeing as the copious amounts of coffee he consumes is certainly not healthy. 

“ _Largo, adagio, don’t rush_.” he murmurs quietly into his cup, swaying slightly to the invisible beat. The atmosphere blends together, and he’s no longer paying attention, lost in his mind. A habit he can’t seem to beat, no matter how hard he tries. 

A sip, a glance, a word or two, he’s not paying attention, humming and swaying in the soft cafe light. The sun sets outside the window, the mood is set, the tension drains from his shoulders, and finally, he allows himself to relax. The golden light hits his face, drowning him in hues of yellow and gold. He is at ease.

People come and go, moving at a languid pace. There’s a lazy air in the cafe, oozing in from the sweet light of dusk and filling up in Kokichi's bones. He feels tired, but a good kind of tired. The kind of tired that comes from finishing a good book, or spending a rainy afternoon curled up next to a fireplace, slow and sleepy. A lazy kind of tired, that sinks into your soul and rests there, content and comfortable. It’s good, it’s nice, and Kokichi almost doesn’t want to leave.

But he’s got work to do, if no one’s turning up. He’s got heists to plan and things to steal.

It doesn’t hurt to indulge, Kokichi reasons as he checks the time again. It doesn’t hurt to rest.

He returns to watching the outside, still humming. He can afford to waste some time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It turns out that, yes, Kokichi did get the dates mixed up. Having dumb gay bitch disease can do that to someone, he supposes. It’s quite normal for him to do things like that, and it doesn’t surprise him, nor does it surprise Dice. 

“I kinda expected this to happen, honestly.” Kokichi complains to Diamond as he braids his hair, “I can never pay attention to these kinds of things.” Diamond hums in agreement, and the methodical brushing of his fingers through his hair lulls him into a comfortable kind of state. Club sits on the couch next to him, fiddling with her lockpicks in the cramped apartment King and Queen own.

In all honesty, the apartment wasn’t meant to hold a team of 10 runaway thieves, but they made it work. Even if it did get cramped often, it was home for many of them. 

“I could’ve checked for you, Fool.” Mage chirps good naturedly as he sews new buttons to their slightly ripped uniforms. “Any of us could’ve helped.” King and Queen nod in sync from where they sit on the table, swinging their feet back in forth in tandem.

“I know, but I was so sure!” Kokichi brandishes his arm with flourish, making wide, sweeping motions. Diamond shifts to accommodate for his theatrics, too used to his antics to be deterred. “I really thought it was yesterday, don’t be so mean!” he sobs dramatically, swooning against the couch in a way that makes them all laugh. He smiles.

“Yes, and what do we always say when you say you’re confident?” Heart lifts an eyebrow, staring at him in amusement. He pouts and turns away from them.

“To stop lying.” he intones grumpily, cracking a smile as the rest of them giggle like schoolgirls. Comfortable silence falls into the room again, each tending to their own business. Kokichi swings his legs as Diamond places the finishing touches on his braid, peppering flowers here and there. He stands up and twirls, putting on a show as Dice claps, cheering and whistling their approval. 

“Do you think it’ll survive a heist?” Kokichi admires himself in his phone reflection, blowing a kiss to his family. Jack leaps over the couch to catch it, knocking everyone over in his haste. Everyone laughs at this, stumbling over each other and tussling, fighting over nothing. Ace sends him a sly smirk, staring at him from his perch atop the kitchen counter.

“I dunno, with the way you do things.” He motions at him, rolling his eyes in an exaggerated manner. “It wouldn’t even survive the car ride there!” Kokichi mock hisses at him in offense and lunges, laughing as he shrieks and tumbles off the counter. They tussle on the floor for a while, all of Dice egging them on with words of encouragement and a couple of “ _yass! Get into it!_ ”s that leaves everyone breathless and crying of laughter. They’re fine, they’re happy, and they’re content, laying on the floor of King’s shitty apartment in the fading light.

But Kokichi starts to feel the telltale signs of boredom creeping up on him again, and he can tell Dice knows, by the way they look at eachother. He gets up slowly, turning to bask in the dying sunlight before fixing a smile to his face, pretends he doesn’t see the worry flashing on his family’s faces as he saunters to the door, tying his mask to his face. He's bored, he’s bored, _he’s bored._

“Let’s begin.” He smiles, and it feels a bit fake on his face, like porcelain fixed into his soft skin. Fragile and easy to break. Another mask he wears underneath his skin. Dice gets up and follows in suit, tying masks and dressing up for another night.

He doesn’t remark on how forced it is, tonight, and neither do they.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow! Hi! thanks for reading through!!! 
> 
> Sorry if Kokichi seems to be a bit oc, i amplified some of his characteristics to match more with my experience with ADHD (bc my headcannon is that he has ADHD. Have you seen him in game??)
> 
> Updates will be really irregular, mostly bc having ADHD makes it really hard to focus on things. I'll try my best though!!!


	2. The distance between our lips is still 50cm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Kokichi, meet my friends.” Kokichi smiles and shifts his eyes from Rantaro.
> 
> And meets with a familiar piercing gold.
> 
> Fuck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alrighty!! chapter 2 is here y'all!!!
> 
> Thanks for sticking around after the first chapter! It means a lot to me :)))
> 
> Also, Chapter updates will be very infrequent, and probably have quite a lot of time between them, mostly because school is starting up and my dumbass only chose Honors and AP classes. I'm so fucked y'all, its not even funny.

Kokichi climbs up to the roof of Jack’s apartment, setting down his blankets and staring up at the stars.

They have no heists planned for tonight, which is a misfortune on his part, but still fine, nonetheless. It isn’t like he’s dependent on adrenaline.

He reaches a hand to the sky, as if attempting to touch the bright stars above his head. He keeps it there for a while before giving up and setting his hand down on his chest. Kokichi shifts on the blankets, not quite cold, but not warm enough to be completely comfortable.

“Have you ever had the feeling that, no matter how hard you try, you’ll never reach what you’re searching for?” He says, eyes never leaving the stars. 

Spade sits down beside him, setting her head on her knees as she tilts her head, staring at him with something in her eyes that he can’t help but hate, just a little bit. She turns away to look at the night sky, voice as quiet and hesitant as the breeze that lifts their shirts and swirls around their skin.

“Sometimes.” She says, voice softer than the blankets they laid upon, “and I know that the rest of us feel like that, too. But not as often as you do.” Kokichi doesn’t answer, cannot find an answer to reassure her when he knows all that would come out is a lie. Spade knows this, so she says nothing as well. They sink in the moment, and the stars seem to be judging, staring down at him with disgust.

“We’re worried.” Spade whispers, almost to the stars. Kokichi just sits in silence, mapping the constellations with his tired eyes.

“Don’t be.” He says simply, and they leave it at that.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kokichi finds himself sitting at the same table in the cafe again, this time with the (what he assumes to be) correct date and time. His nerves are more jittery than usual, and he’s had more coffees than he can count. All in all, he’s having a fantabulistic day, thank you very much.

He’s wearing the same sweater, sipping the same latte, humming the same song. It’s a picture perfect copy of that golden afternoon, with the added factor of,  _ yes, he is meeting new people today. _ Which, even saying the statement itself is stressful as hell. He glances at the door in an almost furtive manner, feet tapping and fingers gripping the warm mug in a grip too tight to be normal. 

Kokichi sighs again, relaxing his shoulders and forcing his gaze outside the window. Did he fuck up the dates again? It seemed so, as no one was showing up. He sets his cup down, keeping it in his hands while he forces himself to calm down. It’s way past the time of the initial meetup, and Kokichi can only assume that he made a fool of himself again. He groans, turning his gaze to the soft fairy lights that hang around the window he sits next to, already regretting getting up this morning.

Liquid gold pours through the glass, and he allows himself to let go a bit, basking in the sunlight with the luxury of a cat. Mindlessly, he swirls his coffee as he witnesses the glory of the setting sun, nodding to an imaginary beat. He closes his eyes and breathes.

“Well, you’re here early.” The voice catches him off guard, and he takes a moment to compose himself before curling his lips into his cheshire grin. He opens his eyes in slits, watching as Amami thumps into the seat in front of him, sighing all the while.

“Early?” he teases, straightening his posture just enough to make him seem relaxed, “I thought you said we had to meet at 6 pm?” Kokichi smiles sweetly, keeping his words airy but sharp as knives. He narrows his eyes slightly, tilts his head just so, and smiles in a way that makes the other occupants of the Cafe edge away unconsciously. 

“Kokichi.” Amami smiles back, just as dark and intimidating, if not more. His smile is also laced with poison. “I said 7pm. You just suck at paying attention.” They glare at each other for a bit longer, the temperature of the room dropping slightly.

“Wowie! I kinda expected it, to be honest!” He claps, breaking the spell. “I really thought I got it right this time. Sorry!” He giggles, bringing his cup to his lips and staring over the rim with sparkling eyes. Amami chuckles and leans backwards, motioning to the side of his seat. 

“I brought my other friends, like I said.” he laughs as the two sit down beside him, albeit a bit hesitant. “Though I think we scared them a bit.” his emerald eyes shine with mirth in the dim lighting, and Kokichi laughs a bit before putting his cup down.

“Kokichi, meet my friends.” Kokichi smiles and shifts his eyes from Rantaro.

And meets with a familiar piercing gold.

_ Fuck. _

Kokichi hides his shock by taking another sip of coffee, trying to ignore the fact that  _ Detective Saihara is sitting right there, in front of him, Holy shit he’s going to get arrested _ by attempting death via caffeine consumption. He turns his gaze to the blonde sitting right next to Amami and gives a cheerful wave, and she responds in kind. 

He can tell she’s the bubbly type by the way she waves, the way her eyes light up and there’s a subtle shift in her shoulders that leaves her open, vulnerable. Judging by her long, smooth fingers and her short nails, he assumes that she plays an instrument of some sort. Most likely a piano player, he concludes as he watches her drum a simple melody into the table top. 

“Hi!” She chirps, and  _ yup, he was right, she’s definitely got some spunk,  _ “My name is Kaede Akamatsu! Nice to meet you!” He smiles at her, pleasant and unthreatening as can be.

“Likewise.” He says, not unkindly, eyes shifting discreetly to his nemesis. Does he recognise him? Can he tell from his voice, his personality? Or his hair, which shines a distinct purple, even out of his phantom thief ponytail? He’s playing a game of  _ what will get me arrested? _ with his features, and it’s not a fun waiting game to play. He shifts his eyes back, giving the blonde a smile. “Kokichi Ouma.” He introduces simply, gripping his cup.

“Ah, and I’m Shuichi Saihara.” His detective stutters, and Kokichi snaps his gaze to stare at him. He’s fiddling with his coat, and Kokichi almost can’t believe that  _ this man _ was the person who chased him at night, whose voice was strong and stance was unwavering, whose resolve was stronger than all of those who chased him before. He looked so meek and shy sitting there in front of him, and Kokichi wants to ask if this was some sort of stupid joke. Because he wasn’t laughing. 

Honestly, Kokichi almost thought he was faking, and just waiting to whip out his badge and arrest him on the spot. 

“Where’s Miu?” Rantaro asks, saving him from emotionally imploding any further. Kokichi shrugs, internally screaming, and waves his hand in the air lazily. “The bitch probably got stuck in traffic.” He rolls his eyes, ignoring the way Saihara’s eyes examine him, ignoring how him just sitting there is enough to wind him up, enough to drag him into a spiral. Ignore, Ignore, Ignore.

Akamatsu frowns a bit. “Aren’t you guys friends?” she asks hesitantly, as if she’s never heard someone call their friend a bitch. (she probably hasn’t, if he thinks about it.)

“Oh, no.” Kokichi laughs, flipping his hair over his shoulder and admiring how his nails shine in the sunlight. “I hate the whore. Totes annoying, 0/10 would not talk to again.” He sneers at the spot behind them, shoving his middle finger at the figure walking up to their table. “Miu! Babes, you’re late, honey! You get your ass stuck to your car seat?” He can see Saihara shrink back a bit, offset by the appearance of another person. He flicks his eyes back to his friend.

“Ha! You wish, ya’ fuckin gremlin!” She snorts as she sits down next to him, pushing him to the side. “Move, fucking stick. I got a lotta curves to fit in this seat.” He sticks his tongue out but obliges, moving closer to the window as the Akamatsu stares in barely masked horror, and Saihara in slight fascination and nervousness.

“Nice way of calling yourself fat, pig.” He slaps her arm and she slams her purse down on his head. Nevertheless, he’s grateful for the distraction. Amami sighs in disappointment as they tussle, but he can’t hide the amusement in his eyes as they snark back and forth. 

“Um, is this normal?” Akamatsu asks hesitantly, looking a bit like she’s going to keel over any second. Kokichi snickers before grabbing his latte and calmly taking a sip, as if nothing had ever happened. Miu messes with her hair, unbothered and the picture of elegance. Well, as elegant as Miu was capable of being. (which isn’t very)

“Is it not supposed to be?” Kokichi puts his caffeine down and wiggles a bit, trying to get his excess energy out while still sitting down. Miu cackles before slamming her coffee down with a loud thump, smiling all the while.

“So you guys are Guacamole whore’s friends! I’m Miu Iruma, the gorgeous girl genius! Nice to finally fuckin meet ya!” She exclaims, arm sweeping in a grand gesture that nearly brains Kokichi. He half heartedly glares at the vulgar girl before snickering at Akamastu’s pre aneurysm expression, eyes flicking to his detective every few minutes.

“Saihara Shuichi and Akamatsu Kaede.” Rantaro motions to each person respectively, then reaches out to ruffle Kokichi’s wild curls. He dodges and sticks out his tongue, and gags when Miu slaps a tissue on it. He conjures tears into his eyes, sniffling dramatically.

“A-all of you are so… so meeeeaaaan!!” he sobs, putting his head down in his hands to emphasize his distress. He can’t see them, but he can almost physically feel Miu roll her eyes out of her skull. He turns his snickers into more sobs, disguises the shaking of his shoulders as tears instead of laughter.

“Oh, boo hoo. I’ve seen you put worse in your mouth.” Miu scoffs, affection barely visible under the layers of sarcasm layered thick on top of her words. Immediately, he stops his crying and sits up, smiling as if nothing was wrong. “True.” He chirps, and Akamatsu looks like she has whiplash, staring at his face with wide eyes. He sneers back at her before tapping the table with a perfectly manicured nail, observing his rival discreetly. 

Saihara looks like he wants the table to swallow him whole, staring at it with the determination of a man at war, obviously uncomfortable in every sense of the word. It’s painfully clear he doesn’t do well in social interactions, and Kokichi would feel bad for him if he wasn’t currently trying to figure out  _ how the hell this man works as a detective if he’s this horrible at talking to people? _ In all honesty, the contrast between his detective persona and his normal self is jarring, and thinking about it makes Kokichi’s head spin. He decides to take pity on him, anyway.

“Yo, can we get this man a coffee? He looks like he’s going to keel over.” He says, sounding bored as hell while motioning to Saihara, and the detective in question looks up in surprise before coloring into a pretty shade of pink. He looks a bit different when he’s not covered in the shadows of night, Kokichi thinks absentmindedly as Saihara sputters in embarrassment. In the cafe light, he almost looks pretty, with his long eyelashes and smooth face, and those high holy cheekbones. 

It’s just the cafe light, though.

“So, what made y’all want to meet us?” He says, even though he knows the answer. Saihara looks like a black coffee type person, right? He flags a waiter over with a simple wave of his hand, not quite paying attention.

“Oh!” Kaede looks grateful for the start of a conversation, clapping her hands together before nudging Saihara’s shoulder. “This guy over here is looking for a roommate, and I just tagged along!”

“Roomate, huh?” Kokichi says, turning to the waiter and ordering a black coffee before returning his attention to the occupants at his table. “Can’t pay rent?” he asks, tilting his head to one side as he stares at the detective. Saihara sighs, fiddling with his overcoat as he hangs his head.

“Kind of. The landlord raised the rent again and I would be most comfortable if I had someone to split the pay with.” He mumbles, and Kokichi raises an eyebrow. “Again?” he prompts, setting his elbows on the table and leaning his head into his hands. The blue haired male nods, eyes finally detaching themselves from the table to meet his own. “Sounds like your landlord’s a bitch.”

“Well, I wouldn’t put it that way, but,” Saihara thinks for a moment, looking more comfortable then when he had first arrived. He smiles sheepishly after a bit, and Kokichi definitely does not think his smile is pretty, not one bit. “Yes, I suppose so.” he finishes, embarrassment laced in his tone. Kokichi snorts, leaning backwards and settling more comfortably in the seat.

“Well, I bet the purple rat could help ya, then.” Miu scoffs, nearly sending him into the table with the sheer force of her ruffling his hair. He glares at her, and she rolls her eyes at his offended expression. “Please, we all know you live in a car, you bitch.” He colors at her admission of his private life, shooting lasers through his eyes at her. She squeaks a bit, and he can tell she knows she’s fucked up by the way she shifts a bit further away from him. “I live comfortably, thank you.” He hisses, absolutely enraged. She has no right to expose his life to anyone, let alone his  _ fucking rival. _

“Oh, then you two would work then!” Kaede smiles, ever the oblivious one, and Kokichi panics a bit. Living in the same house as _ the _ Detective Saihara _ , who has chased him nearly every week for the past 6 months?? Absolute suicide.  _ He vehemently shakes his head, schooling his expression into something shy, “Oh no!” he waves his hands, keeping his face as embarrassed as possible, “I couldn’t! I probably don’t have enough for rent anyway.” He prays they would just take it and leave it at that.

“I just need someone to split the rent with, I promise it won’t be too expensive.” Saihara says kindly, and _ wow _ , he’s that desperate for someone to live with him, huh. Right now, though, Kokichi doesn’t need his kindness. In fact, being kind is the exact opposite of what he needs right now.

“Come on Kokichi, just fuckin do it!” Miu interjects, apparently dubbing it safe to speak again. He almost glares at her again, but keeps himself in check. It’s not her fault, since she doesn’t know how much danger she’s putting him in. Well, it is kinda her fault.

“Why don’t you just check it out?” Rantaro says, and Kokichi whips his head around to stare at him because,  _ oh god, not you too! _ Looking around the table, he can tell he’s outnumbered, and he sighs, already regretting arriving here.

“Fine.” He says, because how bad can it be, really? It’s just a living arrangement, it’s not like Saihara is going to find out immediately. All he needs to be is careful.

Akamatsu cheers, and he can see Saihara relax slightly. Kokichi turns away from the table, ignoring the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kokichi leaves not long after, with promises to keep in touch and check out the house as soon as possible, and with 2 new phone numbers. He arrives at King and Queen’s shitty flat, bursting through the door and pointing an accusing finger at Clubs.

“I regret you ever convincing me to make friends.” Kokichi complains while collapsing on Diamond’s awaiting lap. Dice looks over in concern, varying expressions of amusement and confusion filling the room.

“What happened, Fool?” Mage asks, playing with his tarot cards, flipping them over and reshuffling the deck. He sighs dramatically, dragging a hand down his face in misery. “I’m so fucked.” He groans, turning over to his stomach. Diamond pats his head sympathetically, tilting his head as if telling him to continue. So he does.

“So Amami shows up with his fucking friends.” Kokichi pauses, the rest of Dice leaning in to hear his dramatic rendition of what happened. “Apparently I was an entire hour early, which, honestly, was expected.” Hearts snickers and he glares at them before continuing.

“And Miu shows up late as all fuck, and we find out one of them needs a roommate, which she promptly signs me up for,  _ against my will _ .” Kokichi pauses for dramatic effect, and Ace looks confused. “Okay? So now you can stop couch surfing from our places. Is that bad?”

Kokichi stares at him for a moment. “The thing is,” Kokichi says, no expression on his face whatsoever, “Homeboy is  _ Detective. Fucking. Saihara.” _

There’s total silence. No one says anything for a while, and it’s so quiet you could probably drop the fractured pieces of Kokichi’s sanity and not hear anything.

Then, all hell breaks loose.

Spade grabs him by the shoulders and starts shaking him, Mage is shrieking “Oh my god.  _ Oh my god. _ ” and Ace is cackling, absolutely rolling on the floor as King and Queen slam their heads into the wall, Diamond is cursing in another language and Clubs is just wheezing at this point, laughing with Hearts as they scream about his shitty luck. Jack just looks absolutely done, sitting on the floor with an expression that screams  _ “Kill me now” _ , and Kokichi is hysterically giggling as the seriousness of the situation finally hits him. 

“How the  _ fuck _ did he not arrest you  _ on the spot? _ ” Jack says, and he sounds so horrified that they all can’t help but laugh harder, like breathing is just an option and they aren’t in such a horrible position at the moment.

“Honestly, I expected him to, but he was so fucking shy that I think he spent most of the meetup staring at the table.” He snorts, remembering the way the detective stared at the ground like he would disappear if he tried hard enough.

“No way,” Clubs gasps, and she sounds like she just ran a marathon, “ _ The _ detective Saihara? Shy? This man jumped out a fucking window to follow you, Fool. Are you sure?” Kokichi giggles, shaking his head. 

“No, for sure.” He assures her, and Dice absolutely riots around him, screaming and going absolutely crazy as he keeps going, “This man was like, so shy it hurt to look at him. Like, pretty sure this man has fucking social anxiety or some shit. Miu showed up and he looked about ready to kill himself.” 

“No fucking way.” Ace wheezes from his position on the floor, sitting up to stare at Kokichi with disbelieving eyes, “No  _ fucking way.” _

“ _ Yes fucking way.” _ He cries, and all of them cannot stop laughing, cannot stop screaming over the ridiculous situations he keeps finding himself in, and he’s sure there’s going to be a noise complaint or two. It doesn’t matter though, and in the moment, he can’t bring himself to care. Queen’s neighbors have dealt with worse, he’s sure, thinking back to every mario kart competition they’ve had. 

“Pack your shit, Fool. It’s time for you to move into the hell hole.” Diamond jokes, making a shooing motion with his hands. Kokichi shrieks, jumping up and around the small room. “Never!” he screams, and collapses on the ground with laughter as Dice pile around him, all of them wheezy and out of breath.

They lay like that for a while, calming down from the high of the moment and regaining their breath.

“For real though, I kinda don’t have shit to pack. We’re poor, remember?”

“Oh shit. You’re right.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kokichi moves into the Apartment, in the end.

It’s not a terribly hard decision. Rent is cheap and the apartment is nice, with its homey feel and beautiful view. He arrives not long after the initial first visit with his bag of clothes and essentials. Saihara seems put off by the fact he only has one bag, but he ultimately doesn’t question it. He’s grateful for that.

Kokichi learns a lot about his rival. He learns that Saihara doesn’t enjoy sweets, but the only one he seems to enjoy is Tiramisu, because it tastes like the coffee he’s so addicted to. He learns that Saihara likes black coffee, but only if it has 2 spoons of this specific type of caramel that he enjoys, but can only buy at the store a couple miles from their apartment. That he is soft, is gentle, likes routines, always has his things in order, always keeps his things in the same spots when he can. Kokichi learns that he cannot cook to save his life, and lives off of pre-packaged convenience store meals. He learns that when Saihara gets stressed he drinks coffee like a madman, that when he’s happy his lips curl up into a gentle smile and his eyes sparkle like tiny stars. He learns that Saihara is a workaholic, and will stay holed up in his room until Kokichi picks his lock and drags him out for food and a movie. He learns, and he keeps learning. There’s just so much more to this man than what he knows from his night heists, and it fascinates him. They’re so different, yet fit together so perfectly.

Kokichi, in the midst of this comfortable routine, lets a few things slip. In turn, Saihara learns that Kokichi loves to cook, that Kokichi absolutely lives off of sweets, that Kokichi wishes to open a Cafe, one day. Kokichi is loud, is messy, cannot keep a schedule even if he tries, is forgetful and spacey, is too much but too little all at once. He learns how somedays Kokichi won’t eat, and won’t talk, somedays he’s snappy and mean and bites into all the wounds Saihara’s ever showed but apologizes afterwards, that Kokichi can’t stop moving, can’t stop and won’t stop, is always fiddling with something, lies too much and is too honest. Saihara learns that sometimes Kokichi is manic, gets an idea and won’t come out of his room for days on end, until Saihara knocks on his door and drags him out so he can stop, so he can rest up and eat. When Kokichi is stressed he snaps at everyone and when he’s happy he can’t stop bouncing. He learns and learns and Kokichi almost feels ashamed for showing these parts of himself to his rival.

Kokichi is in the middle of making dinner when Saihara walks in, brow furrowed and lips set into a line, heading straight for the coffee machine.

“Uh oh.” He says as he reaches into the cabinet to grab the god forsaken caramel for his coffee, and Saihara thanks him as Kokichi hands it over. “What happened?” Saihara sighs heavily as he practically chugs his coffee, only stopping once the entire cup is gone. He goes to make another one, but Kokichi grabs his arm and turns off the wok, then gently drags him to the couch so they can talk properly. 

Once they’re sitting comfortably on the couch, Saihara sighs again, not quite looking at Kokichi’s eyes. “It’s just work.” He says, dragging a hand through his dark locks, his cowlick stubbornly bouncing right back up again. “They’re getting heated over the Phantom thief of cards case.”

Kokichi can’t help but feel a bit guilty, seeing as he  _ is _ the phantom thief of cards. “Is that so?” He says softly, reaching out to touch the detective’s arm. “Is it causing you any trouble?”

Saihara seems to calm down a bit, shoulders loosening a tad bit as he relaxes under the dim fairy lights they hung in the living room after a particularly bad day on both parts. “A little bit.” He admits while loosening his tie. Kokichi slips the oversized coat off of Saihara’s shoulders and pointedly ignores his burning gaze. It’s only a kind gesture, he thinks while keeping his eyes stubbornly on the coat. A kind gesture and nothing more.

“They’re getting on everyone’s case because we haven’t caught him yet.” his detective runs his hands through his navy hair again, and Kokichi doesn’t think about how soft it looks. He snorts and gives him a smirk, voice light and teasing.

“Oh wow, it’s been several months. You still haven’t caught him? Toooootally lame.” He drawls, eyes twinkling with mischief. Saihara only drops his head further, and Kokichi frowns. He sets a comforting hand on the detective’s thigh, dipping his head so he can look the other boy in the eye from his position.

“Hey, I’m sure you’ll be fine. You’re a great detective.” Saihara looks at him, and it’s so soft and his eyes are so gentle that Kokichi has to look away. Saihara lets out one final sigh before chuckling softly, and Kokichi can feel the slight vibrations in his chest. “Thank you.” Saihara smiles, something sweet and soft swimming in those golden pools, and Kokichi can’t help but stare for a bit longer. He smiles back.

“Of course, Mister Detective.” He teases, though it doesn’t quite come out the way he wants it to, and Saihara’s smile seems to become impossibly softer. Abruptly, Kokichi stands up and makes his way back to the kitchen. He has to get away for a moment, from Saihara and from the something that sits in his chest.

“Dinner will be ready soon.” He calls over his shoulder, and ignores the way Saihara’s grateful glance makes him warm inside.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Y’know, boss. You haven’t told us how the roommate situation is working out.” Mage whispers as they map out their next heist, tip toeing silently through the empty art gallery. Kokichi glances at him momentarily before marking another potential escape route with a calculating eye. 

“Oh, it’s as good as it can be, seeing as i’m living with the detective that hunts me down every other night or so. No big deal.” Kokichi says sarcastically, brushing the walls with a gloved hand. He inspects the vents carefully, checking for loose screws and floorboards as Dice creep around him.

“Ok, but like, any other news?” Clubs pushes expectantly, as if fishing for gossip (which she probably is). The rest of Dice flock around him like a  séance , wispy and white like spirits in the dark hallway. Kokichi snorts before putting his hands behind his head, trying to think of any revelations he had while living with his favorite detective.

“Oh!” he snaps his finger, pointing at his family with a devilish grin. “He literally cannot cook for shit. Like, seriously. Homeboy almost burned the house down. I cook now.” Dice giggles like a group of schoolgirls, tickled by the fact that the detective that haunted them at every heist was, in reality, quite the mess. It was humanizing.

“I would  _ kill _ for your cooking again, Fool.” Spade sighs, leaning against the wall in mock pout. “He’s a lucky man.” She knocks the wall, checking for any hollow spots they could use. Spade nods, and they discretely mark the wall. Jack and Mage work their magic, tearing a small hole in the wall for Kokichi to drop his calling card. Which he does, dropping their trademark red and purple card into the awaiting hole before sealing it. He turns to Queen with a smirk, motioning down the hallway with a lazy wave.

They slink down the abandoned corridor, sharing stories with hushed whispers and quiet laughter. The fact that Dice is so baffled about what Kokichi finds normal is a little confusing for him. He supposes it’s because he’s lived with Saihara for so long, but the looks Dice share only serve to widen the nagging sense of isolation.

Dice seem to know exactly how he feels, as they pack in closer, brushing against Kokichi in their familiar, comforting ways. Kokichi smiles and drags them down the hallway, each step timed perfectly together.  _ What did he do to deserve such a wonderful family? _

They’re halfway home in their van before Diamond speaks up, turning around in his seat to look Kokichi in the eyes. “Boss.” He starts, and Kokichi knows he’s serious, that this conversation is something to pay attention to. Kokichi sits up straighter and returns his gaze, tilting his head slightly to show that he’s paying his utmost attention. He motions for Diamond to continue, and he does so with a sigh.

“Don’t get too attached.” He says simply, and Kokichi is almost offended. Did they think he would get attached to the man who was hunting them down? It’s a ridiculous notion, and he almost voices his frustrations aloud when Hearts holds up a gentle hand.

“We don’t want you to get hurt.” They admit, and Kokichi rolls his eyes before sulking out the window. It was almost as if Dice had forgotten his trust issues. Truly, the amount of trust they had in him was astounding, but not as amazing as their ability to jump to conclusions about him. It annoyed him to no end at some points.

(He ignores the fact that they’re usually right.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Until next time, my friends!!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!!


End file.
